Feds: Trio stole $3M in gear from Camp Pendleton

San Diego  A federal grand jury has indicted three men who worked at Camp Pendleton on charges they stole millions in medical equipment destined for combat troops around the world and resold it, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

All three appeared in federal court in San Diego Thursday and pleaded not guilty to charges of conspiracy and theft of government property, court documents show. The defendants are Henry Bonilla, 25, of Pomona; Richard Navarro, 39, of Fallbrook; and Michael Tuisee, 34, of Oceanside.

The three worked in warehouses of the 1st Medical Logistics Company at the Camp Pendleton Marine base, prosecutors said in a news release. The unit maintains and ships out medical equipment needed by troops.

The indictment said that in 2012 the trio stole more than $3 million in medical equipment, then resold it to medical equipment resellers. The government said the men used their own cars to haul the goods away and often struck deals with the resellers in parking lots and other locations across Southern California.

It could not be determined what type of material was stolen. The news release described the warehouses where the men worked as containing “sophisticated, expensive” medical equipment.

Lawyers for Bonilla and Navarro did not respond to messages left late Thursday afternoon at their offices for comment on the case. It could not be determined who Tuisee’s lawyer is.

The three were released in lieu of posting $10,000 bond.

The indictment may signal the start of a broader probe. In a news release, U.S. Attorney Laura Duffy said the charges stem from an “ongoing investigation into the theft of valuable property” at the base. She said anyone with information can contact the Naval Criminal Investigative Service at (800) 264-6485.